The surprise of Shohei Ohtani is his abnormal ability stage at the whole thing a baseball participant does. Seven seasons right into a occupation like negative alternative, he hasn’t even proven all of them.
“What he’s doing, he’s a freak of nature,” stated Andruw Jones, who completed his standout occupation a decade in the past in Japan. “I saw this kid at 18, 19 years old and I knew what kind of player he was. He didn’t stand out much as a hitter yet, but defensively, as an outfielder, he was very, very good. I would go out after batting practice, when they were taking infield, just to see him throw. He was that impressive.”
Perhaps at some point, Ohtani will play games outfield in Primary League Baseball and unharness throws like we’ve by no means revealed. This season, although, has been a completely distinctive exhibit for his velocity. Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ wonderful designated hitter, has 48 house runs and 48 stolen bases via Tuesday, and must quickly develop into the establishing member of the 50/50 membership.
48/48 FOR SHOHEI OHTANI! pic.twitter.com/QoXCvhkrHI
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 17, 2024
It’s some other mind-bending trick from baseball’s grasp expert, who had by no means recorded greater than 26 steals in a season, within the majors or Japan. And it’s much more wonderful, most likely, to avid gamers who’ve completed one or the alternative, or each.
Simply two avid gamers in MLB historical past have clash 50 homers and stolen 50 bases in any season, let lonely the similar one. One is Barry Bonds, who swiped 52 bases for Pittsburgh in 1990 and clubbed a file 73 homers for San Francisco in 2001. The alternative is Brady Anderson, who had 53 steals in 1992 and 50 house runs 4 years next, each for Baltimore.
Traditionally, a ways fewer avid gamers have clash 50 homers in a season than have stolen 50 bases. Even Ohtani has now not completed both simply but.
“When I did it, I think there were 14, and there’s probably over 30 now,” Anderson, who maintains a deep pastime in baseball historical past, stated of his 50-homer season. “But even if it’s 30 or 40, it’s still very few. I’m sure the number of guys stealing over 50 bases is in the hundreds. So the homer part is the hard part. And then, typically, guys that have 50 homers are bigger guys.”
Anderson used to be, certainly, the 14th other participant to clash 50 house runs in a season. (Smartly greater than 100 have stolen 50 bases.) Future 31 avid gamers have now reached the mark, one of the most sport’s maximum celebrated sluggers — Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Albert Pujols — by no means did.
“It’s got to be a synched-up year where a lot of things go right,” stated the Unused York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton, who attached 59 occasions for Miami in 2017, his handiest season with greater than 37 house runs.
“You have to keep your balance and timing the whole year, not too many lulls. And even when you’re not feeling good, you’ve got to be able to have your few hits be homers; instead of having two singles in your 2-for-20-something stage, you’ve got to squeak out those as homers. The whole rhythm of your season has to go right.”
In 2021, the primary of Ohtani’s two MVP seasons for the Los Angeles Angels, he homered simply two times in his extreme 21 video games to complete with 46. Ultimate 12 months, when he used to be MVP once more, Ohtani clash his forty fourth and ultimate homer on Aug. 23, prior to an elbow trauma ended his season.
That trauma, which required reconstructive surgical treatment, has saved Ohtani from pitching or enjoying the garden in 2024. It has made this the easiest season — and most likely the one one — to maximise his velocity.
“I think there’s going to come a point where the Dodgers are like: ‘We like the stolen bases, but cut it down to 25 or 30 and we can still win,’” stated Juan Pierre, who had 5 seasons of fifty steals, connect with Carl Crawford for essentially the most within the 2000s.
“It’s something I think (the Atlanta Braves) will do with (Ronald) Acuña (Jr.) as well. I don’t think he’ll steal 73 bases again. With his knees, they’re going to be like, ‘Look, you’re valuable to us, we’ll get somebody else to steal the bases.’ A lot of guys start out that way — like Matt Kemp — but as you get older, guys just shut it down, especially if you can hit for power. There’s no reason to be out there with a chance to get hurt.
“And once Ohtani starts pitching again, do you really want him running, maybe mess up his shoulder? I don’t think he could put up these numbers and pitch.”
Excellent supposition. As Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts instructed The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya on Sunday, “It’s a big, physical toll. I don’t see how he’d be able to do this if he were pitching. I don’t think he would.”
When Pierre stole 64 bases for the Dodgers in 2007, he clash 0 house runs. Fourteen others have stolen 50 for the Dodgers, and essentially the most homers by means of any of them used to be Davey Lopes’ 10 in 1974.
When Jones performed for the Dodgers, in 2008, he had necessarily banned stealing bases. He had 56 steals in 1995, his extreme complete minor-league season, however crowned out at 27 within the majors. Just one Atlanta participant — Otis Nixon in 1991 — ever had 50 steals all the way through Bobby Cox’s quarter-century as Braves supervisor, and Jones prioritized protection, anyway.
“I wanted to save runs,” stated Jones, who clash 51 homers for Atlanta in 2005 and gained 10 Gold Gloves. “At my young age, I stole 20 every year, basically. But the older you get, it’s like, should I continue stealing or save my legs to run down fly balls in center field? My team counted on me for that.”
Incorrect participant has ever had greater than 24 stolen bases year additionally hitting 50 house runs. In Anderson’s bulky energy season, he stated, a torn quadriceps muscle restricted him to 21 steals. Had Anderson been extra of a working blackmail, although, pitchers may have old him ailing with repeated throws to first.
“The beating was way worse on pickoff attempts than stolen bases,” Anderson stated. “Ohtani’s a big guy and that could have worn him out, repetitive pickoff attempts.”
Since extreme season, pitchers were restricted to 2 disengagements from the rubber; in the event that they attempt a 3rd with out choosing off the runner, it counts as a flinch. But even with that rule — and the larger bases, which avid gamers imagine has had slight have an effect on — simply 3 avid gamers stole 50 bases extreme season, and handiest Cincinnati’s Elly De L. a. Cruz has completed so this season.
Baseball can alternate the principles, however now not the risk-averse nature of the trendy sport. Two of the extreme 4 Dodgers with 50-steal seasons (Steve Sax in 1983 and Eric Younger Jr. in 1999) had luck charges of lower than 70 p.c.
“I’ll ask some guys today, ‘Hey, man, why don’t you steal more? The bag’s bigger, they can only throw over twice,’” stated Pierre, who had a 75.1 p.c occupation luck fee however led the league in stuck stealing seven occasions.
“And their biggest thing — and it’s not from the team, it’s from the guy — they’re like, ‘It’ll hurt my WAR if I get thrown out, so I don’t even want to take the risk.’ Wow, that’s something I would have never thought of. Those stats weren’t even around when I played, maybe on the back end of my career. But this is (Ohtani) saying, ‘If I’m gonna steal a base, I’m gonna make it.’”
To Anderson, Ohtani’s luck fee — 48 for 52, for 92.3 p.c — sticks out maximum. Best two avid gamers in historical past (Max Carey in 1922 and Jacoby Ellsbury in 2013) have stolen 50 in a season with out being stuck a minimum of 5 occasions.
“If he doesn’t steal another base this entire year, 47 and four — that’s unusual in the history of this game,” Anderson stated extreme day, prior to Ohtani stole his forty eighth bottom. “I mean, 40 and 10 is great, and he’s 47 and four. That’s Carlos Beltran stuff.”
Beltran — who had 312 occupation steals with an 86.4 p.c luck fee — peaked at 42 steals in 2004 and 41 homers two years next. With these days’s disengagement regulations, Anderson stated, Beltran may have had a 50/50 season. However the most productive candidate, most likely, used to be Eric Davis.
Davis had all of it — with the exception of sturdiness. Later a 27-homer, 80-steal season for Cincinnati in 1986, he slammed 37 homers with 50 steals in 1987. However in a 17-year occupation, Davis by no means performed greater than 135 video games. He spent his top at the unforgiving AstroTurf of Riverfront Stadium.
“It was a double-edged sword, because that old turf, that’s the best thing ever for stealing bases,” Anderson stated. “You’re so much faster with that little synthetic turf laying on top of cement. It beats you up, but definitely it’s a faster track.”
Primitive turf surfaces are lengthy long past, after all, and Dodger Stadium has herbal grass. Ohtani’s spikes by no means contact it in truthful space, since he by no means performs protection, however that items its personal problem as a bottom stealer.
Juan Pierre stole 50 or extra bases in 5 of his 14 MLB seasons. He completed his occupation with 18 overall house runs. (Gary A. Vasquez / USA These days)
“He doesn’t have to run on the field and stand out in the elements, but what he does, I think, would be hard as well — sitting and then having to go out there and run,” Pierre stated. “I’m sure he rides the bike and does his exercise, but it’s still not like on defense to keep you loose.”
Incorrect pitching, negative fielding, negative AstroTurf, negative unending pickoff makes an attempt — regardless of. To these with the facility or velocity to place a 50 on their stat sheets, it’s nonetheless an attractive feat to deploy each abilities so prodigiously directly.
And take note this: All the ones homers value Ohtani some steals, too.
“Hitting 50 home runs, that’s 50 less times you’ve got to do anything on the bases,” Pierre stated. “He’s just trotting, so he’s good.”
Pierre laughed. The Dodgers are in Miami this day, now not a ways from Pierre’s house. He’s by no means revealed Ohtani play games, and thinks he may take a look at the display.
“You almost get jealous, like how could you be that fast and then hit the ball 500 feet?” stated Pierre, who clash 18 house runs in 14 seasons. “It’s just not fair, the things he’s doing. He’s literally changing the game.”
(Govern picture of Shohei Ohtani: Todd Kirkland / Getty Pictures)
